Messages

1

Discussion / UFO rescue mission

« on: June 13, 2013, 11:37:33 am »

I was thinking that it is unlikely that when a UFO is shotdown, the other aliens would let their comrades die and allow humans to recover their technology. Theoretically after some hours they would send a rescue mission to recover their mates, alive, wounded and dead, and to blow up the wrecked ship. Usually in war this is done by specialized teams with very fast veichles to avoid interceptation, and firefights are reduced to a mininmum.
At the moment, instead, you can wait for days before sending soldiers to recover the crash site.

What about reducing the time allowed to recover a crash site and including the possibility to meet a stronger alien force if human action is taken just before the limit of time?

2

Discussion / Re: Again on reaction fire

« on: June 13, 2013, 11:27:40 am »

This is how reaction fire works already. The only difference is that when a unit can no longer see a target the counter is reset.

Yes, this is exactly what I meant: if the reset is disabled, RF would be more coherent with reality, with the expected behaviour of RF from the users.

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Discussion / Re: Again on reaction fire

« on: June 10, 2013, 11:33:30 am »

You know the code, I don't, so most probably you are right  , but what about creating a number of counters for each unit in game? I mean, each of my soldiers will have as many counters as the aliens in play (and viceversa). While in visibility, the counter add the TU spent (triggering, in case, RF). At the end of the turn the counter is resetted.

From a logic point of view is it not so hard to implement but again, I'm a profane with no knowledge of your work so far 

4

Discussion / Re: 2.5 sucks completely

« on: June 07, 2013, 03:21:58 pm »

The overwatch idea is good (still it seems a redundance of RF reserved points).
In order to avoid instant kill, the rule could be something like: 1) the unit steps in the line of sight 2) if a second uncovered step is taken, (overwatch) RF is activated 2) if a second step is take and goes in cover, there is no RF 3) if the unit rotates on the same spot without taking a second step, no RF is activated.

This would:
- keep on working with the TU count (take one step AND firing would result in a preemptive RF)
- allow aimed RF (sniper rifle, for example)
- avoid instant kill (the soldier/alien can react to a false movement before being blasted)

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Discussion / Re: Again on reaction fire

« on: June 07, 2013, 03:11:31 pm »

H-Hour, did the team take into consideration the idea of not resetting the count when a unit moves between covers? This would trigger RF more easily, and would make more sense (if I see someone moving into cover, I know he'll come out from there).
I think that if the count is not resetted, the RF would seem more natural.

6

Windows / Re: Bug during base defense?

« on: November 28, 2012, 06:56:01 pm »

Thanks mate, I'll go with the shortcut switch and I'll update of the outcome in the following days.

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Discussion / Re: Again on reaction fire

« on: November 28, 2012, 02:19:35 pm »

Thanks H-Hour, understood: better things as they are rather risking to mess up the things. I love that frightening feeling of losing my soldiers, so let's stay in this way (and yes, I agree on your answers to me: you have a wider and internal view on the game, so you know its mechanics and possible drwabacks).

8

Discussion / Re: Again on reaction fire

« on: November 28, 2012, 10:44:29 am »

To H-Hour: I understand your point; while I share Krilain's attitude of actively check any single square of the map, for someone the camping could be an option. Moreover I don't have historic knowledge of the development of the game so I could easily miss something. Still, even if the dev team wants to keep this method, I believe that something should be tuned.

I see RF as an active way to fight, not as a last resort. At the moment RF with a pistol is useless or with a snapshot (rifle), as the damage delivered is so low that it is way better to use the remaining TUs to find an adequate cover. A possible compromise could be to set a standard TUs amount needed to activate the RF, regardless of the kind of RF you reserved (aimed, snap, 3-shots and so on). To avoid camping, you could set a maximum number of rounds to complete the map, or as the very old Spellcross game when camping for too long your unit could lose morale (like frightened of being in the same place). So if you reserve too many TUs each turn you lose morale and end in panicking (just an idea that bounced in my mind right in this moment).

I also share the concerns from Telok, as I've experienced both issues/behaviours. The reset of TUs count together with the current RF system is a real killer of my unit (and believe me, I LOVE to finally risk to have all my team wiped out every mission - it is so challenging!!!).

9

Windows / Re: Bug during base defense?

« on: November 28, 2012, 10:30:29 am »

It happened again yesterday, same situation: only 3 men left, start of my turn and back to the geoscape. The map, this time, was a luxury complex near the sea (sorry I don't remember the name. Attached are the ufoconsole.log and the two savegames (the first is for the base defense).

10

Feature Requests / Statistics and list of dead soldiers

« on: November 26, 2012, 02:40:32 pm »

I'd like to see more stats available to the player, like how many Ufos were detected, how many engaged (and which type), how many crashed. Also I'd like to see a list with the names of dead soldiers, number of missions and kills, and the date of death... like a memorial.

11

Discussion / Again on reaction fire

« on: November 26, 2012, 02:28:21 pm »

I am a veteran with X-Com (I bought it for the Amiga version, the terror missions took ages to load...), through Apocalypse and the latter Aftermath and so on. I find UFO AI a great game, really devoted to the spirit of the original game and the most amazing thing is that it is developed by volunteers and with a freeware license - I'd like to help in translating it in italian once I'll have completed my first campaign.

So far, the only thing I really don't like is the way reaction fire is implemented. I've read and understood how it works in 2.5, but to me it is a non-sense. Let me explain.

Theoretically, when saving TUs for RF, it means that I'm using only part of the actions I could take in my turn for using them later. So my soldier is basically on guard, scanning for movements in front of him; this means that he should be ready to fire.
In the way it is implemented now, instead, my enemies can perform many actions, and I could not be able to fire at them: for example coming out from a door (no TU as they appear), take another step in my direction (2TU), then back (2TU)and then again in the room(2TU). Even with a simple snap shot I couldn't have the chance to fire at them; so, in the end, I'm penalized for not having used all my TUs in the previous turn (I could have thrown a grenade instead, to maintain the same example).
Having a sniper in reaction fire mode is useless: it is almost impossible to see an alien fired with an aimed shot, and the snap shot is unaccurate even at close range.

In X-Com (I know, it is a different game) the soldiers shooted as soon as an alien walked in front of their LOS; as far as they reserved TUs in the previous turn for the selected shot, they were able to fire immediately, and I feel it is the right way to use the RF factor. The only exception I can understand is if the target is "quicker" and has an extra movement allowed (I see you while turning to your direction, I jump in cover). This could be handled by the soldiers/aliens stats.

Another thing I'm not able to understand: how is it possible that the aliens can RF even if I'm not in their LOS? I could understand they shoot me after I've fired and they survive... but before? When shooting at their backs? Is it a matter of telepathy? 

Ok, this is my two cents. I hope this could give ideas and a different look at the aspect! 

12

Windows / Bug during base defense?

« on: November 26, 2012, 01:45:33 pm »

I got a bug, I guess, during the base defense mission.
I was about to be overwhelmed by the aliens, but I still got 3 soldiers, one wounded. They were in cover and not in the line of sight of each other, so even if some frame was skipped at least one had to survive. Instead at the beginning of my round I was thrown back to the geoscape, and able to transfer all the items (and all the soldiers as well!!) to another base.
The lost base was still there but no misson popup was shown on the top left of the screen; it was there but unable to produce, research or else. The only 3 active sections of the base were buildings, transfer and base summary. After one hour of game-time finally the base was destroyed, but to my surprise after some time the entire stuff and crew was transferred (I tried so save whatever I could), including the soldiers who died during the battle... !
After a while an UFO was detected, but not shown on the geoscape.
I'm attaching the ufoconsole. I also tried to save, and despite it seemed that the save was ok, I couldn't find it amongst the others. I'll double check later today to be sure I didn't miss it.
I'm using the 2.5 DEV downloaded on the 30th of October (so I think it's not the last version).

By the way: for a while now I'm not able to see reaction fire (and my subsequent shoots) from aliens having using weapons more evoluted than the plasma cannon. The effects are still in place, as I had casualties and I killed some aliens as well in this phase, but I'm unable to view the shooting.

13

Windows / 2.5 Dev - Tactical battle: unable to move soldiers

« on: November 09, 2012, 06:05:47 pm »

Hi,

I'm experiencing a strange behaviour lately: first, shortly after the appearance of the Ortnoks, the alien reaction fire (and mine, if in the same sequence) was not showed; then, after launching a few smoke grenades, at the beginning of the new turn the smoke didn't disappear and I was unable to move my soldiers (but the game didn't freeze at all).
Note that I had to use the patch I found http://ufoai.org/forum/index.php/topic,6755.msg56217.html#msg56217, I installed days ago.

Attaching quicksave and ufoconsole, plaing on XP.

14

Discussion / Re: Alien Capture

« on: November 06, 2012, 12:20:53 am »

Ok, I've got an update. I just stunned an alien, and this time I checked in the base as soon as the dropship came back: the live alien is in the containment area (and I just startedthe research). Usually I wait for another research to finish before checking for the live alien, so now I'm guessing if after sometime the alien dies in the containment anyway.

Ah, by the way: yes, I've researched the breathing device, and only after the stun rod was available.

15

Discussion / Re: Alien Capture

« on: November 04, 2012, 04:16:30 pm »

I am experiencing the same: stun rod researched, alien containment in the same base of the dropship, alien captured (taman or sheevar), still no alien to interrogate (or whatever) in the research, no alive alien in the containment area.
Playing with 2.5 dev, in case can you tell me exactly what file is needed for examination? I tried to find the savegame file but I can't find it.

Apart from that: is it needed to dump dead bodies from the base? I mean, in the original X-Com they used base space; I don't understand if here it is the same and how to dump them, in case.